Barket i Mercat Municipal Market

Barket i Mercat is the fish and seafood counter inside the Mercat Municipal on Plaça Celestino Pons, in the centre of Xàbia, the town signposted as Jávea on the Costa Blanca road signs. It trades Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm, and it is the reason most people walk into this particular hall: you can buy a whole fish to take home and eat a plate of it a few steps away. See all markets in this city or the other municipal markets in Xàbia.

About Barket i Mercat Municipal Market

The Mercat Municipal is a covered hall of 15 stalls, so this is a small market rather than a city food hall you could lose an hour in. Barket i Mercat is the seafood counter within it, and the short opening pattern matters: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday only, from 10am to 4pm each day. There is no Sunday, Monday or Tuesday trading.

Being indoors is the practical difference between this and Xàbia's street markets, which set up in the open. The hall is wheelchair accessible, with step-free entry from the square, and it stays workable in August heat and in a February downpour alike.

Cash, contactless and mobile payments are all accepted at the counter, so a card or a phone is enough for a kilo of fish. The counter can be reached on +34 633 125 951.

What to buy at Barket i Mercat Municipal Market

Fish and seafood is the whole point of this counter, sold fresh from the display for you to take home. It is the closest thing Xàbia's town centre has to a dedicated pescadería inside a market hall, and the 10am opening suits a late morning shop better than a dawn one.

The counter also serves prepared food, and the market carries a food court, so you can order rather than only buy. That dual habit, a fishmonger on one side and cooked plates on the other, is what separates Barket i Mercat from a straightforward fish stall, and it is why people arrive at lunchtime as well as with a shopping bag.

How to get to Barket i Mercat Municipal Market

The market is at Plaça Celestino Pons, 03730 Xàbia, in the old town rather than out at the port or El Arenal beach. From anywhere in the historic centre it is a short walk, and the square itself is the landmark to aim for.

Driving in, park around the square and walk the last stretch: the old town streets are narrow and the 10am to 4pm window overlaps with the busiest part of the day. Other markets across the area are listed on the Alicante province page.

Where to stay in Xàbia

Staying in Xàbia Old Town puts you within a few minutes' walk of Plaça Celestino Pons, which is the difference between carrying fish home and driving it there. For something closer to the water, El Arenal is the beach side of town with regular buses into the centre.

If you prefer a hotel, Parador de Xàbia sits near the sea and makes a comfortable base for a few days in the town.

What are Barket i Mercat's opening hours?

Barket i Mercat opens Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 4pm, and does not trade on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. The counter is inside the Mercat Municipal on Plaça Celestino Pons in Xàbia, a covered hall of 15 stalls with step-free access from the square.

Where can you buy fresh fish in Xàbia?

Fresh fish and seafood in Xàbia is sold at Barket i Mercat, the counter inside the Mercat Municipal on Plaça Celestino Pons in the old town. It trades Wednesday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm, indoors, and takes cash, contactless and mobile payments for whatever comes off the display.

Can you eat at Barket i Mercat?

Yes, you can eat at Barket i Mercat. Alongside the fish counter it serves prepared food, and the Mercat Municipal carries a food court, so a plate is an alternative to a shopping bag rather than a separate trip. Food is served in the same window, Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm.

Does Barket i Mercat take cards?

Yes, Barket i Mercat accepts contactless and mobile payments as well as cash, so a card or a phone covers a whole fish or a cooked plate. The counter trades Wednesday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm inside the wheelchair-accessible Mercat Municipal on Plaça Celestino Pons.